


Permission to Own a Cat

by TheScholarlyStrumpet (equipoise)



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-30 08:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5157701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/equipoise/pseuds/TheScholarlyStrumpet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: For the G-rated prompt-a-thon! Clara, the Doctor, and permission to own a cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Permission to Own a Cat

“That is clearly not a cat.”

The Doctor looked up from where he was scratching the alien creature behind one ear. “I never said it was.”

“I said I wanted a cat.” Clara asserted.

The Doctor held up one finger. “You said you wanted a pet. Then you said that you _liked_ cats.” He gestured to the strange animal as it batted playfully at his sleeve. “It’s very cat-like.”

“It has feathers,” she pointed out, matter-of-factly.

“And paws. And whiskers.” Eyebrows knitting, he extricated his sleeve from the tiny claws and returned to his usual place at the console.

“You’ve got whiskers, too. Should I call you a cat, now?” she asked, peevishly, her hands coming to her hips.

“I haven’t got whiskers. Just haven’t been to the barber planet in a few days.” Without looking away from the screen in front of him, he held out a hand toward her, palm out. “Yes, there’s a barber planet. No, we’re not going. It’s very boring. And a bit… foamy.”

 “Doctor, this thing breathes fire!” Clara pointed out in a tone of exasperation.

“Oh, that?” The Doctor looked nonplussed. He’d been just as unbothered when the not-cat coughed up smoke a few minutes earlier. “Just a little sulfur it ate, earlier. Won’t normally do that. At least, I think it won’t. Just don’t feed it sulfur.”

“Oh, you think so? Is there a veterinary planet we can take it to, then?”

“Veterinary planet? Now you’re just being ridiculous. Do you know how many species there are in the universe? Not counting all the ones that are extinct in this point in time?” He finally looked up from his typing, blinking at her.

“I don’t know. But I bet you think at least half of them are cats,” she muttered, sauntering reluctantly over to where the feathered, six limbed animal had curled up near The Doctor’s feet.

“I heard that.”

“You were supposed to.” Clara heaved a great sigh and lowered herself to the ground, legs tucked under her. The not-cat blinked split-pupiled eyes at her, all three of them. She hesitantly extended a hand toward it, ready to pull back at any sign of teeth. She supposed there _was_ something rather endearing about its snub nose and the way its whiskers wiggled as it sniffed her. It made a sound somewhere between a chirp and a sneeze. Then it lowered its head, butting at her extended hand. Clara took the hint and scratched its ears.

“See? It likes you,” The Doctor asserted, looking down at the two of them, his expression unreadable.

Clara arched an eyebrow at him. “How do you know?”

“Well, it hasn’t tried to kill or eat you.”

Clara pursed her lips. “You’re hilarious.”

“Indeed I am. But that fact aside, it does like you. Listen, it’s purring.”

Clara continued petting the creature and leaned in toward it. It was, indeed, emitting a low purring sound. Its eyes had fallen closed under her ministrations. Clara realized she was smiling at it and bit her lower lip. The not-cat gave a quiet little yawn and rolled onto its back, exposing a round belly covered in shorter feathers. It blinked sleepily at her, as though asking for belly rubs and she found she couldn’t help but comply.

“I suppose it isn’t _terribly_ uncatlike…” It was really very soft and warm beneath her hand. She supposed she could get used to the feathers and the three-eye thing. She’d certainly grown accustomed to much stranger sights in her time on the Tardis.

“Thought you two might get along.” The Doctor eased himself to sitting cross-legged beside her. “It followed me all the way back to the Tardis. Yowled at me the whole way. Wouldn’t have anything but to come in and make itself at home.”

Clara shook her head, feeling that familiar fondness as she met The Doctor’s gaze. “And you just can’t resist taking in a bossy stray?” she teased.

The corner of his mouth quirked before he turned away. When he replied, his voice was low. “Apparently not.”

Clara bit back a grin. She shifted to one side to make herself more comfortable, leaning on one hand as the other stroked the down of the now bonelessly happy creature. Slowly, ever so slowly, she allowed herself to lean back, against The Doctor.

She felt him stiffen slightly but he didn’t move away. In his own time, he relaxed, one arm tentatively encircling her. Clara sighed, contentedly, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. They sat in near silence accompanied by only the whirring of the Tardis in flight and the purring of Clara’s new cat. 

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently this is a popular theme! I was not aware when I filled the prompt. But you can find two other cat-on-tardis stories [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3957340/chapters/8873701). and [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3325532)  
> Cheers!


End file.
